


Retreat does not means defeat

by Midori_MK



Series: Doropetra Week 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:15:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23403604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midori_MK/pseuds/Midori_MK
Summary: Dorothea and Petra receive an assignment to negotiate with a small village close to Garreg Mach Monastery. It should not be a difficult task, but an unexpected setback put their mission at risk of failure. Will they be able to turn the tables?(Sorry for the lame title but the fic is cool)
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary
Series: Doropetra Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683523
Kudos: 10
Collections: Doropetra Week 2020





	Retreat does not means defeat

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fanfic for Doropetra week, the prompt is "Retreat". There is a one day delay because I did not create the Ao3 account timely /hides. I will post the prompt of day 2 today as well so check it if you have some time. Enjoy!

It has been tree years since the war started and tree years since their teacher Byleth had disappeared. Battle after battle, war kept raging on with no end in sight.

Ferdinand and Hubert studied the terrain around a village not so far from Garreg Mach Monastery that could be used to gather food and supplies following a request from the Emperor, Edelgard. The village had its interests aligned with the Empire´s and the risk of an ambush from villagers was unlikely. Hubert gave Edelgard a conclusive report, which led her to dispatch Petra and Dorothea to negotiate with the village’s chief.

Dorothea was very good with words and able to negotiate with people from any social stratum, the best in their group as Hubert´s, methods could be dubious and Ferdinand could speak too much about nobility and sour the negotiations. Besides that, she was able to defend herself if needed. Edelgard assigned Petra as well in case Dorothea needed some backup in case the negotiations did not take a good turn. Petra was extremely perceptive of their surroundings and could notice any suspicious behavior and take action to ensure a quick reaction on any scenario.

It would take one day and some hours to reach the village. With that in mind, the duo gathered their supplies and departed from the Monastery towards their mission early in the morning. Dorothea had mixed feelings about this assignment. On one hand, she was happy that Edelgard selected her to lead this mission, as she felt that she had the Emperor´s trust and validated as an important piece of the Black Eagles Strike force. On the other hand, she was concerned whether she would be able to complete it successfully or not. What if the mission failed and she lost not only Edelgard´s trust, but from all of her friends as well?

“Dorothea, are you having discomfort?”

Petra's voice woke her up from her inner conflict. She was not alone on this mission. Edelgard also chose Petra, one of the strongest members of the Black Eagles Strike force and a dear friend. Dorothea felt a safer and a bit more confident with her presence around. She hoped it was the same for the purple haired woman.

“Oh, it is nothing Petra. I was just thinking about what kind of people we are going to encounter.”

“From what Ferdinand told me, I am thinking it is a village with smallness and few villagers. But we still need to be on alert as Hubert advised.”

Always so focused, Dorothea thought as she looked at the younger woman. Both of them would be able to see the mission through successfully for sure. She was glad she was not assigned with Ferdinand nor Hubert. The later would start talking about using his shady methods and she would get uncomfortable and uneasy. As of Ferdinand, he would not shut up about the noble goal the mission represented and the songstress would not be able to handle it.

They took a few breaks throughout the day, but decided to stop near a riverside in the forest to rest for the night. Petra and Dorothea built their tents and prepared to spend the night with some small talk.

“Do you think this war will keep going much longer?” the former songstress asked, looking at the small campfire she lit herself with some magic.

“I am not having certainty. Edelgard's army has much strength but so has our enemy. I am not wishing for this war to continue much longer.” Petra said while sitting across Dorothea after dropping some dry tree branches she picked for the campfire. “But I will keep fighting to create a world that is fair to everyone and to be protecting the people of Brigid.” She finished her sentence, looking proudly at her friend.

Dorothea was a bit taken back by Petra´s words. She was only 18 but she was so responsible and caring about all of her friends and future subjects as princess of Brigid. It is true that the songstress focus initially had been to secure a future to herself, but thinking about a world where not one would need to go through everything that happened to her on the streets, keep on fighting seemed to have a meaning, even if she utterly disliked the war they were immersed in.

“I admire you courage Petra, I am not as strong as you but I hope we can create a better future for all.” Said the brunette, looking at her mission companion in the eyes. “But that is enough about war! Would you mind telling me more about Brigid? I want to know more about the homeland of my dear friend.”

“With gladness! I shall tell you the story of the spirits that protect Brigid!”

With that, they immersed themselves in conversation, in which the huntress excitedly explained Brigidian mythology to the mage. It was rare to have someone asking about her culture so she was very happy to pass it on to her friend that always was willing to hear about it.

Dorothea was so interested in Petra's words and happy seeing her so eager to share her homeland's culture that she did not notice something approaching. It did not go unnoticed by Petra though, who quickly jumped and knocked the songstress to the forest´s ground as three arrows hit a tree that was aimed in her friend's direction.

“It is an ambush. We need to be hiding as we have no knowledge of their numbers.” The purple haired princess said to the mage while quickly pulling her from the ground and guiding her to a nearby tree. All was going too well to be true, the brunette thought while following Petra. She quickly got ready to use her magic against their attackers.

Silence ensued for some seconds, then three men attacked them from behind some bushes. However, they did not pose much of a threat as the magician took one down and Petra finished the other two with her sword quickly, with bow ready in her back in case she needed it. 

“I sincerely expected more from mercenaries of the Kingdom”. The songstress pointed, as she got closer to Petra to check if she had any wounds since she engaged in direct combat. Her companion did not have any wounds only small bruises, which relieved her.

“We cannot underestimate our enemies. We need to be moving forward before-” Petra was abruptly cut by two arrows that hit her shoulder blade and her chest respectively as she cried in pain. Two archers hidden behind a tree hit her and signaled to more mercenaries that threatened to surround them. Dorothea´s heart was thumping heavily against her chest as the whole scene unfolded around her. They did not even reach their goal and the mission seemed to fail within minutes. The mercenaries’ intention was probably to get the resources of the village and to extinguish any influence from the Empire. She felt despair hit her strongly. Seeing blood on her friend´s chest while she tried to think of an escape route made it even worse as worry consumed her. The mission could wait and even fail, but she could not let her friend die.

Quickly, she used her strongest lightning magic on some trees and bushes to ignite a fire on the forest. This distracted the group or mercenaries that tried to find a way to dodge the flames. She had to retreat and save Petra friend no matter what. The fire spread quickly as she got hold of the younger woman. She hurriedly explained that they needed to retreat to get her to a safe place and properly tend to the wounds, hoping that the younger woman would make sense in her words.

“I.. Can be walking… Just need some help…” It was all she was able to mutter as pain consumed her. The magician did not think twice before putting her arms around Petra and gently lifting her to her feet, trying to walk away as quickly as possible in their condition. They walked to the other side of the small river and hid behind some big boulders that seemed to lead to a cave. 

Dorothea quickly helped the huntress to lie down as she started working on healing magic desperately trying to heal her wounds. She was so glad that professor Byleth decided to teach her white magic, otherwise she would not be able to do anything to save her friend. Thankfully, the arrows did not reach too deep against her flesh, but it could endanger Petra´s life if the magician did not take action fast. Her breath was heavy, but she was still conscious as she slowly lift her hand to touch Dorothea´s face.

“There is no need to be crying, I am having strength and will be fine.” She said with a pained smile as she whipped tears that the songstress did not even feel falling from her face. “Thank you for saving me.”

“I am so sorry Petra. I do not deserve your praise” She could not help as more tears streamed down from her face. “Everything that happened is my fault! If I paid more attention to our surroundings and to our mission, this would not be happening… I am a worthless magician, am I not?”

“That is not being true. If you truly did not know how to fight, we would be both killed by these men.” She said as her wounds started diminishing in size and Dorothea started getting ready to remove the arrows from her body. “Everyone makes mistakes but you have much smartness and insight. Thanks to you, I am being able to recover and we will together think of a plan to defeat these mercenaries and be reaching the village. I have certainty.”

The songstress did not know how to respond to that. She felt amazed by how Petra´s words were able to soothe her erratic heartbeat and warm her chest at the same time. This made her remember that even though she never thought highly of herself, she had friends that believed in her and in her strength, friends that were worth fighting for in this war.

“I will pull the arrows now and this will hurt you, but the magic will make it less painful alright?” The Brigid princess quickly nodded, closing her eyes shut and clenching her fists as the brunette removed the first arrow from her chest while still applying the healing magic. She repeated the same process for the second arrow until all wounds healed. A wave of relief hit her. Petra would still feel some pain if she made abrupt moves with her right shoulder, but she was no longer in life danger and that was all she needed now, to see her friend safe.

Both were tired after all that happened, but they could not rest yet. The mercenaries were still in the forest and possibly heading to the village that was their main goal. Quickly, they went through the options they had and devised a plan. If that group created an ambush, they could make an even better one with the few resources they had. Petra still had her bow, a few arrows, a dagger and a few items in her purse. Dorothea had her magic and both of them had a very strong determination to take these mercenaries down. It is true they had to retreat, but defeat was never part of their plans.

* * *

“Ha that was too easy!” One of the man dressed in grey armor said after drinking a gulp of wine from a bottle. “These women were too weak and caused that entire ruckus burning the damn forest but we will get to the village first and get all it has to offer. I am really glad you were infiltrated in the monastery and grabbed this information to us. We will get a nice reward for that hehe.”

Another man, sitting on the ground drinking some water, replied. “It was not easy to get information on that plan of the red Emperor but it was worth it. The members of the church will pay us very well, even more if we consider that the brigidian rat is likely to die after being hit like that. It is a pity that the songstress tried to help her and fled though, she was very beautiful and could have joined us.”

Dorothea was so done with everything that the man said. The betrayal, the way he talked about her and the worst of all, badmouthing her dear friend, she just wanted to jump in and fight with her bare fists filled with anger, but she knew that was not a wise option. She had to wait Petra´s sign before doing anything to put their plan into action.

Suddenly three arrows hit the floor and grabbed the attention of the men. There were eight of them. Two archers, four axe wielders and two sword users. One of them got close to the arrows while the others got on guard. That was what Dorothea was waiting for. She cast a fire spell directed to the arrows, which had handmade bombs that Petra carried on a small purse attached. The bombs were powerful and the explosion was enough to bring four of the man to the forest´s ground defeated and leave the other four perplexed. Amidst their confusion, Petra jumped from behind a bush and dealt with two of them by using her dagger with her left hand, while the magician defeated the other two. It was their victory.

Dorothea searched the mercenaries’ belongings and grabbed everything the duo could use on what remained of their trip to the village while the huntress tied the mercenaries that did not die from their assault. The remaining three mercenaries fainted and were weaponless. They would stay stuck on the tree until the Imperial guard arrived to capture them, since Petra used a messenger bird to inform Hubert of the status of their mission.

“We did it Petra!” They were both exhausted, but the brown-haired magician could not contain her happiness after defeating the group with their strategy. “Now we need to remain alert and head to the village. I am sure we will make it in no time!”

“I am in agreement. Our plan was successful and we should make haste to the village and make sure no one is hurting the villagers.” Petra said, as she tried to adjust her ponytail. However, the shorter woman felt a tinge of pain in the shoulder that was hit by the arrow and winced.

“Here, let me adjust your hair for you.” Dorothea approached Petra and gently grabbed in her hands the purple strands that were now devoid their usual braids. “You have my gratitude”. The princess added with a smile. Her hair was silky, smooth and, for some reason, the songstress felt like she could keep combing it with her fingers for a long time. Nevertheless, they did not have much time to waste. She finished Petra´s ponytail and both started heading to their final destination.

* * *

The duo arrived at the village early in the following morning. They were welcomed by the villagers that upon noticing the tiredness in their eyes, offered food and a place to rest. They were given a comfortable room with two beds, but this did not mean they would let their guard down. Both decided to take turns sleeping, with Petra going first since she had been hurt and needed some rest. Dorothea would sleep a bit when the other woke up.

The songstress was a bit sleepy but she would not give in. She would stay awake and alert to anything. After what seemed like one hour, a knock on the door made her get up from bed quickly. Carefully and reading a spell, she opened the door handle.

“You are Mrs. Arnault, the mythical songstress, aren’t you?” A small girl asked politely, but not being able to hide her excitement.

“Err, yes.” Dorothea was quite surprised that a kid that seemed ten years old knew her.

“You see, my mother sings to me the songs you sang in the opera to sleep. Could you please sing a little bit to me? I would love to hear it in your voice! My mom told me that nothing compares to your voice!”

She simply could say no to that kid after that, even though she was tired. The former opera singer let the small kid enter the room and directed her to sit on the empty bed while Petra seemed to be soundly asleep in the other one. Then, she sang. Carefully not to wake her friend but strongly to convey feelings through the lyrics as she always had. Dorothea did not remember the last time she sung to an audience, even if it was only one person, it made her happy.

At the end of the song, the small girl was beaming and clapping. “Thank you very much miss! I will tell my mom that I heard my favorite song!” She said while happily dashing through the door. The tired magician could not help but smile at that.

“Your voice has much beauty.”

Dorothea jumped on her spot as she turned around to see that Petra was sitting on the bed and smiling fondly at her. She could not help the blush forming on her face.

“T-That was nothing Petra! It was just a simple song that we use to warm up before singing, nothing much.”

“I have disagreement. Even if a song is simple, it carries feeling with it. It made my heart feel warm.”

“I-I think I will sleep now that you woke up, I am feeling tired and need some rest.” Dorothea quickly laid herself on the bed and stared at the wall that seemed so very interesting right now. The purple haired girl was confused while she stared at the songstress’ back upon such a sudden reaction, but kept on alert while her friend slept (or at least tried to sleep).

* * *

The next morning was perfect, as negotiations went smoothly and both of them secured a supply of food and wood to the old Monastery. This would help in the war efforts in exchange of protection to the village and its people. Caspar and Ferdinand arrived shortly after Dorothea and Petra concluded the agreement with the village chief. Edelgard was concerned about their friends’ safety and dispatched both to check up on them with a group of the Imperial army. Hubert was in charge of taking care of the mercenaries that were tied in the forest, which included the traitor.

“I had no doubts you would accomplish this noble mission flawlessly! I shall now escort Petra to the carriage we prepared to take both of you back.”

“You have my thanks Ferdinand, but I can walk with easiness, thanks to Dorothea.”

“Oh, did Dorothea fully heal your wounds!? As expected of our full-fledged magician!” Ferdinand excitedly remarked as he politely bowed to Dorothea, expressing his gratitude.

“There is no need for that really.” The songstress highlighted with a small smile, as she got closer to both of them. “But you should accept Ferdinand´s offer, Petra. I have healed your wounds but you should not overexert yourself.”

With what seemed like a small frown, the huntress complied and accepted Ferdinand’s help. Did Petra perhaps expect Dorothea to walk with her to the carriage, in the same way she helped her in the forest last night? She was probably imagining things after what the young Princess told her after she sung to the little girl.

* * *

Everyone arrived safely to the Monastery and Edelgard ordered Petra and Dorothea to provide a report of their mission. The duo was surprised as they entered Edelgard´s meeting room and she told Hubert to leave because she wanted to talk with both alone.

The Emperor approached them silently with a serious look on her face. Dorothea was ready to hear about how they should not have allowed the ambush to happen but, unexpectedly, Edelgard pulled them in a hug.

“Never leave me worried like that again. You two are not only important to this army but my dear friends as well. This is an order.” Edelgard said as she tightened her embrace around her former classmates.

“Of course Edelgard, I will be training more to become stronger”. Petra said while returning the embrace and taking hold of Dorothea's hand, which surprised the songstress. “I will be protecting everyone.”

Trying to get a grasp on all that was going on, Dorothea could not help but tease Edelgard. “Eddie, who could have thought that the Adrestian Emperor was so caring about her friends~.”

With that, Edelgard undid the hug and regained her posture. “Ahem. You are now both dismissed. I have high expectations on future missions with you two.”

The duo bowed and left the meeting room. Nevertheless, Dorothea was still puzzled, as Petra did not let her hand go. “Hmm, Petra my dear why are you holding my hand?”

“Oh, you are having my apologies. I ended up doing it in the moment as I felt it was appropriate. Should I have not?” She quickly let go of the magician’s hand as if hit by an electric spell and… was that a blush?

“Of course not Petra. I do not mind it; I was just a bit startled that was all.”

They went separated ways as Petra headed to the dining hall and Dorothea went to her own room since she just needed some rest as the whole mission left her exhausted. The former singer laid on her bed tiredly, but could not shake the cute blush on Petra's face away from her mind, nor the warm feeling in her chest while thinking about the Brigid Princess as she fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey again! Thank you for reading this story! I have never written a fanfic before and English is not my native language, but I hope you were able to enjoy this it. Feedback and critiques are very welcome!
> 
> I wanted to write something soft with an open ending because I intend to write other prompts in which their relationship will be further developed. Stay tunned!
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment if you liked this fic as I would love to hear what you guys thought of it! If you want to talk with me you can find me on twitter as @km_midori :)
> 
> Special thanks to my dear friend Kuro that beta-read this for me.


End file.
